Most Useful Windows Program Ever
Posted by Chris Mon, 12 Dec 2005 12:45:28 GMT
Why Software Is Not There Yet
Posted by Chris Sat, 10 Dec 2005 09:06:24 GMT
So when I tried to post the previous entry, I got a 500 error. I don't really know ruby, but there was at least a nice backtrace in the typo log. The operative bit:
RuntimeError (wrong dateTime.iso8601 format):
/lib/xmlrpc_fix.rb:9:in `dateTime'
/usr/local/lib/ruby/1.8/xmlrpc/parser.rb:538:in `tag_end'
It was also nice enough to log the incoming XML-RPC data. The operative bit of that:
{"name"=>"dateCreated",
"value"=>{"dateTime.iso8601"=>"20051210T08:28:40+0000"}}
Now, thanks to open source and all that jazz, I could pretty easily find this code, repeated here since it's short:
def self.dateTime(str)
if str =~ /^(-?\d\d\d\d)(\d\d)(\d\d)T(\d\d):(\d\d):(\d\d)Z?$/ then
a = [$1, $2, $3, $4, $5, $6].collect{|i| i.to_i}
XMLRPC::DateTime.new(*a)
else
raise "wrong dateTime.iso8601 format"
end
end
For what it's worth, this is overriding a method from ruby's own xmlrpc library, the version of which on my system being very similar but not accepting the final "Z" (for Zulu AKA GMT AKA UTC). That's not good enough, since MarsEdit has chosen to send the time zone, even though it's Zulu, as +0000.
But also on the web, I found this, and if you click on the "Source" bit of the dateTime method, you see a much longer and fancier function that attempts to actually handle ISO8601, including the format MarsEdit sends. There we see:
when /^(-?\d\d\d\d)-?(\d\d)-?(\d\d)T(\d\d):(\d\d):(\d\d)(?:Z|([+-])(\d\d):?(\d\d))?$/
a = [$1, $2, $3, $4, $5, $6].collect{|i| i.to_i}
if $7
ofs = $8.to_i*3600 + $9.to_i*60
ofs = -ofs if $7=='+'
utc = Time.utc(a.reverse) + ofs
a = [ utc.year, utc.month, utc.day, utc.hour, utc.min, utc.sec ]
end
XMLRPC::DateTime.new(*a)
Thinking that was what I needed, I updated the overridden method in Typo to use it. But alas:
TypeError (cannot convert Array into Integer):
/lib/xmlrpc_fix.rb:11:in `utc'
/lib/xmlrpc_fix.rb:11:in `dateTime'
What's the deal? A little research, and it turns out that in ruby you write *a to get the list of elements in a, rather than the Array itself. Don't ask me why it's written without the * in what appears to be official ruby library code -- my guess is that it's for a newer version of ruby where you can pass an Array to Time.utc. In any case, I tried:
utc = Time.utc(*a.reverse) + ofs
Behold, a new error!
ArgumentError (argument out of range):
/lib/xmlrpc_fix.rb:11:in `utc'
/lib/xmlrpc_fix.rb:11:in `dateTime'
Looking more closely, that a.reverse falls under suspicion. Time.utc seems to want (year, month, day, hour, min, sec), and that is in fact how it's coming out of the regex. So why reverse it? I haven't the foggiest clue! I took out the reverse:
utc = Time.utc(*a) + ofs
and voila! The post went through. I'm still totally stumped on how that could possibly ever work as written. Maybe some reader will help me out here. Of course, I only have the one reader (hi, Josh!), so maybe not.
Why MythTV Is Not There Yet
Posted by Chris Sat, 10 Dec 2005 08:28:40 GMT
http://jonobacon.org/viewcomments.php?id=597
Sweet Jesus, who wants to go through that much crap to watch TV? I've lost all interest in being a sysadmin for my computer; I'm not about to turn maintaining a TiVo into a full-time job.
This guy obviously has the motivation and perseverance to deal with every step being "well, this doesn't work yet" or "I tried a few dozen times until I discovered that you simply have to modify the kernel with a hex editor". Me, I'll be over there paying for a box that Just Works. And making the ten-years-younger me cry.
P.S. Posted with the MarsEdit 1.1 beta. Yay MarsEdit.
Today In Religious Hypocrisy News
Posted by Chris Thu, 08 Dec 2005 15:26:00 GMT
Israelis to be allowed euthanasia by machine
Machines will perform euthanasia on terminally ill patients in Israel under legislation devised not to offend Jewish law, which forbids people taking human life.
[Update! Someone left a comment on jwz's blog pointing to this Feynman story.]
Mentally Ill Man Murdered By Homeland Security Agents
Posted by Chris Thu, 08 Dec 2005 04:14:00 GMT
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/12/07/airplane.gunshot/index.html
Welcome to the USA. Go off your meds and we'll shoot.
Ze School Luncheez
Posted by Chris Thu, 08 Dec 2005 03:24:00 GMT
http://www.idlewords.com/2003/03/french_week_on_school_lunches.htm
Gets a little nutty near the end, but in general, yes, my country has ruined food forever.
MICROSOFT PREMIUM XBOX 360 PIC!
Posted by Chris Wed, 07 Dec 2005 17:32:00 GMT
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=39880
Silentbarrel said in an e-mail that he had been "laughin histriocally" over the situation.
The bizarre world of Patrick Byrne's Overstock
Posted by Chris Wed, 07 Dec 2005 04:34:00 GMT
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/12/03/overstock_issues/
I want to be an eccentric CEO when I grow up.
No Science In My Back Yard!
Posted by Chris Tue, 06 Dec 2005 18:51:00 GMT
The Cyclotron Comes to the 'Hood
Local lawmakers rushed to introduce emergency legislation banning the use of cyclotrons in home businesses. State health officials took similar steps, and have suspended Swank's permit to operate cyclotrons on his property.
I am so sick to death of these damned retards who can't be bothered to listen to logic and reason and just freak out 'cause that sucker's NUKULAR OMGOMG!!!!1
IT IS NOT A GODDAMN NUCLEAR REACTOR, SHUT THE HELL UP AND GO BACK TO WATCHING DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES AND LICKING THE RIBLETS GREASE OFF OF YOUR FILTHY SAUSAGE FINGERS.
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